Container end assembling machine



Dec. 18, 1951 R. E. J. NORDQUIST ETAL 2,578,731

CONTAINER END ASSEMBLING MACHINE 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed March 12,1946 INVENTORS BY 7g I am/ 2am 47'70EA/EY5 Dec. 18, 1951 R. E. J.NCRDQUIST ETAL 2,578,731 7 4 CONTAINER END ASSEMBLING MACHINE FiledMarch 12, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS 4 T To ENE Y5 Patented Dec.18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,57 8,731 CONTAINER END ASSEMBLINGMACHINE Application March 12, 1946, Serial No. 653,77 6

The present invention relates to container end assembling machines andthe like and has particular reference to curling over a flange part of afibr container body to hold an end member in place in the body. This isan improvement on the can end assembling machine disclosed in UnitedStates Patent 2,265,188, issued December 9, 1941, to J. H. Murch;

In securing end members to fibre containers of the character disclosedin United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to J. M.Hothersall, wherein a flange part of the can body is folded inwardlyover the inserted end member, it has been found most convenient to foldthe flange part with a curling head which travels in endwise relation tothe end of the container to be closed.

In such a curling head the curling edge sometimes cuts into the edge ofthe flange at the beginning of the curling operation and thereby splitsthe fibre material of which the body is made or crushes the flange sothat dimculty is experienced in forming the end seam on the container.This 3 Claims. (01. 93-551) Figure 1 is a sectional view of a curlinghead mechanism embodying the instant invention, the view showing one endof a container in place in themechanism, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front or face view of the curling head of the mechanismshown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail showing some of theparts in Fig. 1 in a different position relative to the container. As apreferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrateprincipal parts of the container flange curling mechanism disclosed inthe above mentioned Murch patent.

In such a mechanism the work to be done is disclosed as a rectangularshaped square cross section fibre container body A (Fig. 1) having aninwardly bent annular bead or shoulder B which terminates in a straightlongitudinally extending annular flange C. Bodies of this character whenthey enter the curling mechanism carry is particularly true where theinherent spring in the body side walls bows or curves them outwardlybeyond their normal straight, flat condition.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difiiculty byproviding a curling head having air blast nozzles for projecting blastsof air against the outer surface of the annular flange of the containerbody thus pressing and holding the flange inwardly toward the containerend member prior to and during the curling operation. An object of theinvention is the provision of a mechanism for curling the flange of afibre container body into overlapping relation to an end member insertedwithin the body, wherein fluid means are utilized for pressing andholding the annular flange of the body inwardly toward the container endmember so that the flange will be properly engaged by the curling headand the edge of the flange will not be cut or crushed at the beginningof the curling operation.

Another object is the provision of such a cur ing head mechanism,wherein the pressing and holding of the annular flange of the bodyinwardly toward the container end member is effected by air blastnozzles controlled by valves actuated in time with the operation of thecurling head so that improved curling action may be obtained.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

flat fibre end members D which are in inserted position within thecontainer body and are in engagement with the bead shoulder B, as shownin Fig. 1.

A container body A with its inserted end member D is inserted endwiseinto the curling mechanism in any suitable manner, for example asdisclosed in the above mentioned Murch patent. In this inserted positionthe end of the body is surrounded by a container holding head 12 whichcarries a plurality of radially movable slides I1. There are preferablyfour of these slides, one located adjacent each side of the rectangularcontainer body. These slides have movement in slideways l8 formed in theholding head l2. At their inner ends the slides are formed with shapedjaws l9 which are adapted to engage within the bead shoulders B- of thecontainer body A (see Fig. 1). When moved into operative position thejaws l9 grip the container on all sides and hold it firmly againstdisplacement.

The container body A thus held against movement is disposed in endwisealignment with a curling head which includes a punch 2| which is movabletoward the adjacent held end of the container body. The forward end ofthe punch 2| preferably is hollow and is of such a shape as to provide ashell of square cross section to fit the square container body A. Theface of the punch shell is formed with a concave annular or peripheralrecess 22 having a curved surface 23.

A flange confining rin member 35 is carried on the outside of the punchand is adapted to slide on ashouldered section thereof. This ring issquare in cross section and is attached yieldably to the punch by longscrews 36 each screw extending through a shouldered bore 31 in the ring.The screws are threaded into a shoulder portion 38 of the punch 2|. Alarge head 39 is formed oneach screw and these heads limit the innertravel of the ring. Compression springs 4| retained in bores 42, 43formed respectively in the ring and in the punch shoulder, normally keepthe ring in its inward position against the heads of the screws.

The innermost edge of the ring 35 extends beyond the punch 2! and istapered both inwardly and outwardly to form a wedge 49. The inwardtaper, indicated by the numeral 5| is adjacent the container body flangeC. The dimension be-v tween opposite inner faces of this ring adjacentthe tapered surfaces 5| is exactly the dimension across the container onthe outside of the flange C. Thus, the inner peripheral surface orcontour of rin 35 and the outer peripheral surface or contour of punch2! on which the ring slides are substantially coincident in outline withthe perimeter or contour of the container body flange when the latter isstraight. dition of the containerbody flange will be referred tohereinafter as the normal outer contour" of the flange.

The outer taper, indicated by the numeral 53, extends back to theoutside oi the ring. The tapered wedge thus formed by these two taperedsurfaces is adapted to extend intovcorres-ponding tapered recesses-55formed in the jaws l9. These latter serve as centering devices forbringing the jaws into proper position, transversely of the containerbody when the punch vmoves forward.

Adjacent the wedge shaped edge of the square This straight conflangering 35, a plurality of air blast nozzles 6! are located each forprojecting compressed'air or other fluid medium against the flange C ofthe container body. The function of this is for bowing and holding theflange inwardly toward-the end member D during the curling operation.

There are four of these nozzles El, located one adjacent each faceof thesquare ring 35. These nozzles extend inwardly at an angle toward theflange of the container body and are located in clearance openings62-formed in the wedge shaped edge of the ring.

The outer ends of the nozzles 6| are connected to valve housings 64(Figs. 1 and 2) secured to the outer face of the container holding headl2. There are four of these valve housings, one for each nozzle.communicates with the outerend of an L-shaped channel 65 formed in thehousing. The-inner end of the channel communicates'with a valve Thenozzle of each housing port 66 in the housing. The port is normally lineN (Fig. 2)- which connects allof the housings and is in communicationwith all of the air chambers. This pipe line H is connected to an inletpipe 12 which leads from any suitable source of compressed air or otherfluidmedium.

Openin and closingof the valves is efi ected the outer end of'thevalvehousings. The inby actuating pins 13 .whichareslidablycarried 4 nerends of the pins are disposed adjacent the ball valves 61. The outerends of the pins extend beyond the housings and terminate adjacent theinner face of a plate I4 secured to the outer end of the punch 2 I.

Hence as the punch 2| moves toward the end of the held container body Afor the curling op vflow through the channels 65 and the nozzles 6|.

This air issues from the nozzles in blasts which impinge against theouter surfaces of the four sides of the flange C of the container bodyand thus forces the sides of the flange inwardly from an outwardly bowedcondition into a straight or slightly inwardly bowed condition. Thisstream of air against the flange along each of the four sides of thebody continues during the entire inward travelof the punch and holds theflange in the desired position during at least the beginning of thecurling operation.

As the punch 21 continues to move toward the end of the held containerbody A, the tapered wedge49 surrounds the flange C while it is stillmaintained under the pressure of the stream of air projected against itand guides the flange into the ring. While the punch continues to movein toward the container body the wedge 49 of the ring engages into thewedge recesses 55 in the jaws I9 and thus properly centers them thisposition by the air impinging against them.

This insures that only the smooth curved surface 23 of the recess ispresented to the flange and thus the curling action on the flange isimmediately started and splitting or crushing of-the flange is therebyprevented.

The curling action continues as the punch further proceeds toward thecontainer body, the body flange sliding along the curling surface 23 ofthe punch until it is foldedentirely over and is in overlapping positionagainst the end member D. It ispressed home so as to crease the outeredge ofthe flange, as shown in Fig. 3.

The punch is thereupon withdrawn and the jaws are moved outwardly awayfrom the container so'that it maybe removed from the head l2. Duringthis outward movement of the punch, the plate 14 moves back away fromthe valve actuating pins 13 and thus permits the valve compressionsprings 69 to close the ball valves 61 against the air outlet ports 66.The streams of air issuing from the nozzles Bl are thereby cut off.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made infthe form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing fromthespirit and scope'o'fthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted positionagainst a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending bead formedadjacent a projecting flange of a fibre container body, the combinationof means engageable with said shoulder to hold the container insupported position, a movable die member disposed in spaced longitudinalrelation to the supported body for engaging and bending inwardly theprojecting flange of said body into overlapping position against the endmember while said shoulder of the body is backed up by said holdingmeans, said die member having an unbroken continuous working surface forengaging the full outer surface of said container body flange, meansdisposed adjacent the end of the con tainer body for projecting a fluidmedium against the body flange, and valve means engageable by said diemember for actuating said fluid projecting means to impinge said fluidmedium against said flange of the container body to press the flangeinwardly into the path of travel of the moving die member to facilitatethe aforesaid bending engagement of the die with the flange for securingthe end member to the container body.

2. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted positionagainst a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending peripheral beadformed adjacent a projecting peripheral flange of a fibre containerbody, the combination of a plurality of radially movable slide membersfor externally engaging said shoulder to hold the container in supportedposition, a movable die member disposed in spaced longitudinal relationto the supported body for engaging and bending inwardly the projectingflange of said body into overlapping position against the end memberwhile said shoulder of the body is backed up by said slide members, saiddie member having an unbroken continuous working surface for engagingthe full outer surface of said container body flange, a series ofnozzles arranged around the end of the container body for projectingblasts of air against the body flange of the container, and valve meansengageable by said die member for actuating said air blast projectingmeans to impinge said air blasts against peripherally spaced portions ofsaid container body flange to press the flange inwardly into the path oftravel of the moving die member to facilitate the aforesaid bendingengagement of the die with the body flange for securing the end memberto the container body.

3. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted positionagainst a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending peripheral beadformed adjacent a projecting peripheral flange 20f .a fibre containerbody, the combination of a plurality of radially movable slide membersfor externally engaging said shoulder to hold the container in supportedposition, a movable die member having means for supporting the same inspaced longitudinal relation to the supported body for engaging andbending inwardly the projecting flange of said body into overlappingposition against the end member while said shoulder of the body isbacked up by said slide members, said die member having an unbrokencontinuous working surface for engaging the full outer surface of saidcontainer body flange, a series of nozzles arranged around the supportedend of the container body for projecting spaced. air blasts against thecontainer body flange, ports for connecting said nozzles with a sourceof compressed air, each of said ports including a valve seat normallyclosed by a valve member, and movable means actuated by the movement ofsaid die member for opening said valve members prior to engagement ofthe die member with said container body flange, whereby a series of airblasts from said nozzles impinge against peripherally spaced portions ofsaid body flange to press the flange inwardly into the path of travel ofthe moving die member to facilitate the aforesaid bending engagement ofthe die with the flange for securing the end member to the containerbody.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST. HERBERT F. COX, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,908,823 Daniell May 16, 19332,264,317 Koehler Dec. 2, 1941 2,265,188 Murch Dec. 9, 1941

